Blog Prompt: Changing the World One Click at a Time?

In class this week, we spent a lot of time discussing the debate over just how useful social media is for social activism and activists. While critics like Malcom Gladwell acknowledge that social media is a useful tool for forging and maintaining "weak connections" and disseminating information among large numbers of people, they contend it is not particularly useful for the sort of activism that is needed to produce meaningful social and political change. Yet recent events-- the rise of Black Lives Matter, the Women's March on Washington-- suggest that online connections can mobilize people to take to the streets in huge numbers and can move people who have never engaged in activism or politics to get involved. What do you think about the role played by social media in contemporary social movements and activism?  

Please post one of your op-eds on your blog for classmates to read

Hi All, 
At some point after class tonight, please post of the two blogs you wrote on your own blog so classmates can read and respond to it. Thanks. SM

Blog Prompt: In 40 words or less, summarize the idea for one of your op-eds

This week I've given you an assignment to write two op-eds on topics of your choosing. As a way of "jump starting" the writing process -- and as a way of eliciting some feedback for your ideas-- I'd like you each to write a quick blog post that summarizes the main idea for one of the two op-eds you'll be writing. Can't wait to see what you're working on.

Blog Prompt: Is Polarization a Bad Thing?

One of the issues Ronald Jacobs and Eleanor Townsley address in their book The Space of Opinion is the popular fear that the sort of partisan narrative and views aired cable opinions shows are contributing to polarization:

To the extent that these kinds of narratives reinforce the partisan political identification of viewers, and to the extent that they encourage those viewers to see the opposing party as morally weak or even evil, then it becomes more difficult to organize a public dialogue built around mutual respect, trust or openness.

      While these patterns are certainly problematic and justify much of the public concern that has been expressed about the growing influence of the cable news networks, we think it would be a mistake to simply condemn the newer formats. The audience for cable television's opinion shows has different levels of knowledge and media engagement than its general news audience...(Jacobs and Townsley 238). 

What do you think? Are the "newer formats"-- the O'Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, The Daily Show, The Rachel Maddow Show, etc.-- contributing to political polarization and a breakdown of dialogue and mutual respect across America's various ideological divides?  Or, does such programming actually raise the level of knowledge and the political engagement of its audiences? Could the popularity of such shows actually be good for democracy?

Blog Prompt # 3: Expert Commentary, Academic Feilds and Intellectual Diversity

Last week, we spent class talking about who gets classified as a "public intellectual" and seemed to arrive at a consensus that the people christened "public intellectuals" are often older, male and white. We could probably add that they usually work for elite educational institutions (MIT, University of Chicago, the Ivy League schools) or for elite media outlets (the New York Times, CNN, etc.). In preparation for our discussion of The Space of Opinion: Media Intellectuals and the Public Sphere next Tuesday, I want to ask a slightly different question about the diversity of the commentators and experts we see, hear and read in the media. In your view, what academic fields or disciplines (Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Political Science, English, History, etc.) are most well represented in the media and which tend to be less common or invisible? Also, how diverse are the intellectual or philosophical perspectives of the majority of commentators in the media? Are there certain perspectives that are over-represented in discussions taking place in the media? Are there perspectives that are under-represented or even stigmatized and actively scorned? I look forward to seeing your posts...

Blog Prompt #2: Who are the leading public intellectuals of our day?

In class this week, we will be discussing the concept of the public intellectual. As part of that discussion, we'll be talking about Posner's notorious list of the most influential public intellectuals in the American media. For this week's blog, I'd like you all to write a short post identifying the few thinkers and writers you consider to be the most significant or note-worthy public intellectuals of the present day and why. In class, we will spend some time discussing people's suggestions. Later this week, I'll post my own list. But for now, I am curious about who you identify as our leading intellectuals....